> > When I saw the grouchy old woman and slightly less grouchy old man who frowned at Gandalf and Frodo in Gandalf's cart . . . I took it for granted that they were Otho and Lobelia...
>
> Considering that I thought both people were female, I can't think they would be Otho and Lobelia.

Hunh?

>
> The guy that exclaimed "ProudFEET!" would be Everard Proudfoot, and I'm basically positive that he was not either of the two in this earlier scene.

Agreed here. So either way, your friend was wrong, even if you are not neccesarily right.

>
> Question, though: even if I'm wrong and one of those two was an androgynous man instead of a woman, what makes you think they would be the Sackville-Bagginses instead of any of thousands of other random hobbits?

I assumed it was the S-Bs because that is very like the rest of the movie, that Jackson puts in visual clues for those who know the book, where he doesn't have time to elaborate. Eg: The Elven Cloaks and Brooches, that were never actually mentioned, but were very present after Lothlorien.

As for the fact that the S-Bs live over the Brandywine... Well, there are certain compromises that Jackson had to make. Bree isn't half a night's (or less) journey from the Brandywine, six days cannot be covered in a gallop, no matter how elvish your rider, and did you notice the general lack of planning involved in getting Frodo out of Bag-End? I thought Jackson pretty much had to put them in, in at least one shot, so when we come back to the shire at the end of the third volume, we will know who they are, sort of.

sam"Saw it again on Monday, listening to Limited Edition Soundtrack right now"hael